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Monday, November 23, 2015

Gallup PRINCETON, N.J. -- Americans, by 60% to 37%, oppose plans for the
U.S. to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees who are trying to escape
the civil war in their country. This is in keeping with Americans'
historical tendency to oppose taking in large numbers of refugees,
something that has been evident in similar situations as far back as the
1930s.
Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill to tighten the
federal government's screening requirements on refugees from Syria. This
action came after many governors said their states would refuse to take
these refugees. Many in favor of halting the refugee program cite
increased concerns about terrorism in the wake of the terrorist attacks
in Paris earlier this month.

Despite the specific concerns about possible terrorism associated
with accepting Syrian refugees, Americans' opposition to the current
plan is in line with public opinion on refugee situations in the past.
Across seven different refugee situations since 1939 for which Gallup
has a basic support or opposition measure, the average level of public
support has been 33% and the average level of opposition has been 57%.

Of these seven situations, the only one a majority of Americans supported involved Kosovo refugees in 1999.
However, support may have been higher because the question mentioned
that only several hundred refugees were being accepted, and the question
was asked after the government had already taken that action.

Americans are a bit more positive when asked if the Syrian refugees
would be welcomed if they came to their community -- 49% say they would
be welcomed and 46% say they would not be. However, that is a slightly
more negative assessment than Gallup found in a 1979 poll asking about
Southeast Asian refugees, also known as the "boat people." At that time,
57% of Americans said those refugees would be welcomed in their
community and 30% said they would not be.

In 1979 as well as now, many more said refugees would be welcomed in
their community than were in favor of having them enter the U.S. This
could indicate that Americans are expressing positive sentiments about
their local community as much as support for the policy on taking in
refugees when asked whether refugees would be welcomed.

Republicans Least Supportive of Taking In Syrian Refugees
Politics are a major influence on Americans' views about Syrian
refugees. The majority of Democrats, 57%, approve of the plan for the
U.S. to take the refugees, but a far larger majority of Republicans,
84%, disapprove. Independents' views are similar to the national
average. These partisan differences are similar to what occurred in the
House vote on the Syrian refugee bill, with nearly all Republicans
voting in favor of the measure to tighten requirements for those
refugees to gain entry to the U.S., and most Democrats voting against
it.
Roughly six in 10 Democrats approve of the plan and say Syrian
refugees would be welcomed in their local community. Republicans and, to
a lesser degree, independents, are more inclined to believe Syrian
refugees would be welcomed than to approve of letting them into the U.S.
in the first place. Notably, though, a majority of Republicans still
say the refugees would not be welcomed where they live.

Implications
Last week's House bill passed with enough votes to override an
expected veto from President Barack Obama. However, as of now it is not
clear whether the Senate will take up the measure, let alone pass it.

If the president does move forward on his plans to take in at least
10,000 Syrian refugees, he would be doing so without the American
public's support. However, that would hardly be unprecedented, as
Americans historically have not been supportive of plans to bring
refugees to the U.S., and presidents have sometimes acted to take in
refugees despite public opposition.

Why Americans have historically not been supportive of accepting
refugees is unclear. To some degree it could be related to their more
general views on having large numbers of new people enter the country,
whether that be immigrants coming to the U.S. by choice or refugees
coming to escape a troubled situation in their home country.

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As the author of A Disgruntled Republican I often post items which I think may be of interest to the conservative, Republican, libertarian or the greater community. Posting of a press release or an announcement of an event does not necessarily indicate an endorsement. Rod

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